“It’s critical that people with diabetes pay attention to their heart health,” said registered dietitian Kathy McManus, director of nutrition at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. “They should combine a healthy complex carbohydrate with some protein and a little bit of healthy fat for meals and snacks. They should also avoid trans fats and limit saturated fats.” Know your fats.

Shop smartWhen grocery shopping, plan ahead for the week and always bring a list — and a full stomach.

“Stay on the perimeter of the store, and stock up on seasonal produce that’s on sale,” McManus said. “Not everything has to be fresh. Plain, frozen vegetables and fruits can be easy and convenient substitutes.”

Look for whole-grain, high-fiber foods and limit your time on the aisles where there are boxed foods that may not be healthy. Take a close look at serving size and salt and sugar content.

“We all need to be sensitive to the added sodium and added sugar in packaged, processed, take-out foods and the Salty Six,” McManus said. Avoid products with too much sugar and look for its other names in the ingredient list such as sucrose, honey and high fructose corn syrup.

Be wary of buy-one get-one free deals, because if they’re not healthy, you’re getting more than you bargained for.

Balance your plateReady for dinner? Your best bet is to start with a small plate. Fill half of it with vegetables such as roasted squash, grilled asparagus or a salad.

For the next quarter, consider a healthy carb like a small, plain sweet potato, brown rice, whole-wheat couscous or whole-grain pasta.

Finish off your plate with a lean protein, like a piece of fish or poultry without the skin.

Dining outWhen dining out, call ahead or look online to find out what’s on the menu. Avoid buffets, because the value to your pocketbook won’t be felt in your waistline.

“The biggest thing is portion control — for everyone, but especially for people living with diabetes,” McManus said. “Look at the amount of food that’s on your plate.”

Consider ordering a salad and an appetizer for your meal. If you get an entrée, split it or send half of it back to be boxed up to go.

Keep a polite distance from the bread basket, but make friends with your water glass. Watch out for the calories in other beverages — both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.

“Start off with a small portion and wait 20 minutes,” she said. “Give your stomach enough time to tell your brain that you’ve eaten and are getting full.”

More tipsWhether you’re at home or on the go, it’s not always easy to make the right food choices.

“It’s complicated out there. That’s one of the reasons we recommend that if you have diabetes, see a registered dietitian,” McManus said. “It’s best to have someone who can guide you through your own individual eating plan and give you advice on how to make difficult choices.”

The American Heart Association has delicious recipes for diabetics, a health assessment, personal stories and more great tools here.

Searching for healthy snack ideas?

Try these:

Small apple with tablespoon of peanut butter

½ cup baby carrots with two tablespoons of low-fat cottage cheese or hummus

*All health/medical information on this website has been reviewed and approved by the American Heart Association, based on scientific research and American Heart Association guidelines. Use this link for more information on our content editorial process.